Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for the fourth time

After two months in a Brooklyn jail, Sean “Diddy” Combs suffered another setback as he prepared for his sex crimes trial in May when another federal judge denied his request for bail.

On Wednesday, Judge Arun Subramanian ruled in favor of prosecutors, ruling that the hip-hop mogul should not be allowed to prepare for his 2025 trial from a private home. Combs’ attorneys previously proposed what they called an “extremely comprehensive, comprehensive bail package” with a $50 million bond, arguing their client had been unable to adequately comply at the Metropolitan Detention Center prepare for his case.

Subramanian’s verdict marked the fourth time Combs has been denied bail before the court.

During a bail hearing on Nov. 22, prosecutors continued to argue that Combs posed a risk of endangerment and witness tampering. Combs’ defense argued against the picture the government has painted of the rapper and reiterated that its bail proposal addresses any concerns about ensuring Combs would return to court and not engage in obstruction of justice , cleared out.

Subramanian had letters submitted by both sides on Nov. 25 detailing Combs’ communications from prison before making his decision.

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Combs’ new bail application, filed earlier this month, was Combs’ fourth attempt to be released before his trial, having already made two requests when he was arraigned and appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Justice in September had filed appeals.

Diddy’s lawyers suggested a $50 million bail and 24-hour security

This latest proposal, like previous ones, called for a $50 million bond secured by the equity of Combs and his mother’s Florida homes, the introduction of 24/7 surveillance service by licensed security personnel, and no Internet access. or telephone access for Combs outside of meetings with attorneys, a pre-approved visitor list consisting of selected family members and surrendered passports of the rapper and his family members.

This latest offer also mentioned that Combs was willing to engage in “full house arrest” either at his $48 million home in Miami or at a suitable location in New York. His family visits would be monitored by assigned security and Combs would be subject to “testing for a prohibited substance” if necessary.

Arriving at the Manhattan courtroom with members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Combs, 55, wore a beige prison outfit and blew kisses to his family sitting in the second row. His mother, Janice Combs, and his children – Quincy Brown, Christian “King” Combs, Justin Dior Combs, Jessie Combs, D’Lila Combs and Chance Combs – were photographed arriving at the federal courthouse earlier in the day.

Combs, who is charged with sex trafficking, extortion and solicitation for prostitution, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes and claimed all of his sexual encounters were consensual, despite a growing number of civil lawsuits alleging rape against him over the past year. Human trafficking and sexual abuse from the 1990s to 2022.

Prosecutors and Diddy’s team are at odds over his use of other inmates’ communications accounts

In their Nov. 25 letters, Combs’ team argued that all of his actions since his incarceration fall within his First Amendment right to free speech as he “defends himself in the court of public opinion.” Meanwhile, U.S. attorneys denied that claim and detailed his alleged “extensive efforts to taint the jury” while he was in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

In his filing, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, noted: “District courts have interpreted ‘obstruction’ to include intentional acts that compromise the integrity of judicial proceedings.” He claimed that Combs had ” “Used multiple unauthorized means of communication that made it difficult or impossible to monitor the defendant’s communications.”

As noted in a previous filing, Combs used other inmates’ methods of external communication, including telephone access codes and a service called ContactMeASAP, to speak to people outside of MDC.

Williams wrote: “The government has no way of knowing whether there are other PAC or ContactMeASAP accounts that the defendant is using that the government is unaware of. Put simply, if the defendant uses other inmates’ accounts, his communications are very difficult – if not impossible – for BOP and the government to track and monitor.”

In an earlier filing, Combs’ attorneys said they were unaware that an inmate’s use of ContactMeASAP.com “was not authorized by the Bureau of Prisons because it is widely used in prisons.” They also noted, “The government has never directed defense counsel to prevent Mr. Combs from using the service, nor has the BOP done so.”

“Inmates often use other inmates’ minutes to facilitate (1) more than one phone call in a one-hour period and (2) additional phone calls once their 300 minutes are up,” defense attorney Teny Geragos previously wrote, adding that BOP officials “are able to monitor every message Mr. Combs sends and receives.”

He has stopped using ContactMeAsap.com “as of November 16, 2024.”

However, Williams claimed Combs continued to “use the ContactMeASAP account of at least one other inmate and sent messages to a family member as recently as November 24, 2024.” He also claimed: “During his stay at the MDC, the defendant directed family members and third parties to contact several potential victims and witnesses.”

Why Diddy’s previous bail applications were rejected

When Combs first requested bail, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky sided with U.S. attorneys’ argument that Combs posed a risk if released on house arrest.

“I cannot impose conditions that would adequately ensure court appearance and the safety of the community,” Tarnofsky said Sept. 17. “I don’t know if you can trust yourself, and I don’t think you can. “This lawyer has the ability to control you, given the very serious concerns I have, particularly with substance abuse and apparent anger issues.”

The following day, Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. — who has since recused himself from the case — also ruled against Combs, finding that no bail amount could guarantee that Combs would not tamper with witnesses.

“I find that the government has proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses a threat of obstruction of justice and witness tampering,” Carter said. “I also find that the government has proven that the defendant poses a threat to the safety of others in the community.”

Last month, federal appeals court Judge William J. Nardini denied Combs’ request for immediate release pending the court’s decision on his request for bail. Nardini referred the request to a three-judge panel within the Second District Court of Appeal.

In Combs’ appeal to the Second Circuit, his attorneys argued that the proposed conditions of his release were sufficient to ensure he would appear in court.

“In fact, there is little risk of absconding; he is a 54-year-old father of seven, a U.S. citizen, an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman and philanthropist, and one of the most well-known people in the world,” the appeal states.

Investigators allege Combs elaborately planned to use his finances and status in the entertainment industry to “fulfill his sexual desires” in a “recurring and well-known” pattern of abuse that included so-called “freak offs” – recorded sexual encounters that he allegedly staged.

U.S. attorneys allegedly obtained Combs’ information and data from phone, technology and social media companies, as well as hotel airlines. They also said they seized more than 100 phones, laptops, tablets, iCloud accounts, cameras and flash drives.

Meanwhile, Combs’ lawyers have expressed doubts about the alleged crimes the evidence reveals. In a TMZ documentary released last month, “The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment,” one of Combs’ lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, suggested that Combs’ “outbursts” were simply “threesomes.”

Contributor: Luc Cohen, Reuters

If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

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Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for the fourth time

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